So we're pleased -- but not surprised -- to see Brittany Howard of the Alabama Shakes topping a new list from Paste. Today, Josh Jackson, editor-in-chief of the online magazine, and his colleagues gave Howard their No. 1 spot among "The 10 Best New Voices in Music."

"When 23-year-old Brittany Howard, the frontwoman of The Alabama Shakes, sings 'You got to hold on,' she extends the 'hold' across two full bars as if her sweaty palms were slowly sliding down a last-chance rope," says Paste writer Geoffrey Himes. "It’s not just that her voice is huge; it’s that she can move you even when she’s whispering."

Howard fronts a fast-rising rock band from Athens -- a soulful, rootsy group that earned national attention even before the April release of its debut disc, "Boys & Girls."